{"id":16778,"date":"2014-04-28T14:39:47","date_gmt":"2014-04-28T19:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=16778"},"modified":"2014-04-28T14:39:47","modified_gmt":"2014-04-28T19:39:47","slug":"table-for-two-by-brandy-bruce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=16778","title":{"rendered":"Table for Two by Brandy Bruce"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, nonfiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em>
\nToday’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Brandy Bruce<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

and the book:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Table for Two<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Heartsong Presents (April 28, 2014)<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
***Special thanks to Brandy Bruce for sending me a review copy.***<\/strong><\/div>\n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n
\"BrandyBruce\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Brandy Bruce has worked in book publishing for more than nine years–editing, writing, reading, and making good use of online dictionaries. She’s a graduate of Liberty University and works as a part-time book editor for a publishing house. She and her husband, Jeff, make their home in Colorado with their two children, Ashtyn and Lincoln. When Brandy isn’t editing manuscripts or writing novels, she loves spending time with her family, baking any kind of cheesecake, watching movies based on Jane Austen novels, or curling up with a favorite book.<\/p>\n

You can contact her through her blog at http:\/\/brandybruce.blogspot.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website: http:\/\/brandybruce.blogspot.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"cover\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Mandy Seymour always books a table for one. So the pretty food critic is stunned when she captures the eye of dashing chef Leo Romano. Leo’s good looks and fabulous cooking are swoon-worthy, but it’s his tender care of his ailing father and affection for his warm Italian family that really touch her heart. A broken engagement has made Leo cautious. And as he grapples with his dad’s illness he’s skeptical about starting a new relationship, even with a woman as compelling as Mandy. But as he spends more time with Mandy, Leo starts to realize maybe the last<\/em> thing he should give up is love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Product Details:
\nList Price: $4.99
\nPublisher: Harlequin\/Love Inspired
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-13: 978-0-373-48703-5
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER: <\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Mandy Seymour held up one hand to hold off traffic as she dashed across the crowded street, wincing as the \u201cWalk\u201d sign changed to \u201cStop\u201d before she could reach the other side.<\/p>\n

“Sorry,”she muttered as the sound of horns honking followed her. She pushed through the revolving door of the Hyatt Regency hotel and rushed past the front desk. Taking a quick moment to look down at the brochure in her hand, Mandy took the next left and sighed with relief when she saw that the double doors to the conference room directly ahead of her were still open.<\/p>\n

She slid into the last row of seats and turned her attention to the speaker at the front of the room. Gabriel Romano. The <\/i>Gabriel Romano. Owner of two four-star restaurants, one in Denver, the other in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Mandy\u2019s mouth watered at the very thought of his infamous tiramisu.<\/p>\n

She caught the end of Mr. Romano\u2019s introduction as she shuffled through her purse, looking for a pen and a notepad.<\/p>\n

How can I not have a pen? I always have pens\u2014but of course, when I need one, there are none to be found.<\/i><\/p>\n

Mandy ignored the disapproving voice in the back of her mind that always sounded just like her mother. Mandy, why are you so disorganized? Mandy, when are you going to be more responsible? Mandy, isn\u2019t it time you got yourself together?<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cHere, take this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy looked up in surprise at the voice whispering next to her. A man in a blue tailored suit with a silver tie handed her a pen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Mandy whispered back, accepting the pen, her gaze lingering just a little too long on the man. His dark wavy hair, jet-black eyes, and olive skin were a nice combination.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t even think about it, Mandy. He\u2019s probably married. <\/i><\/p>\n

Was that her voice or her mother\u2019s in her head? Mandy shook away the question and settled in her seat, eager to be swept into Gabriel Romano\u2019s rise-to-success story, beginning with learning to cook from his grandmother during summers spent in the Italian countryside.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, why are you here?\u201d the guy leaned over and whispered again.<\/p>\n

Mandy barely glanced at him. Okay, I know you\u2019re cute, but I\u2019m here to hear Gabriel Romano so stop talking!<\/i><\/p>\n

Mandy shrugged. \u201cThe same reason everyone else is\u2014Gabriel Romano,\u201d she whispered, hoping her annoyance would register with the guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re another admirer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It obviously didn\u2019t register with him.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a food critic,\u201d Mandy whispered in a rush. \u201cI\u2019m going to the new Romano\u2019s <\/i>on 15th Street tonight and doing a review, so I thought I\u2019d come hear his story.\u201d<\/p>\n

A woman in front of them looked back, holding her finger to her lips. \u201cShh!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy\u2019s face burned with embarrassment. The guy next to her seemed unaffected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat time will you be there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Mandy asked, forgetting to whisper. The woman in front turned around again, glaring this time.<\/p>\n

The guy leaned closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat time will you be at Romano\u2019s <\/i>tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy blinked, caught for a moment by those dark eyes of his. Why did he want to know? She looked back down at the notepad on her lap without answering.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Leo, by the way,\u201d the guy whispered.<\/p>\n

Mandy sneaked another look over at him. He had a nice smile. But that didn\u2019t mean anything. There could be a lunatic lurking behind that nice smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Mandy Seymour.\u201d<\/p>\n

What happened to the lunatic theory? I\u2019m now having a conversation with a complete stranger\u2014missing out on the speech that I came to hear! <\/i><\/p>\n

Leo nodded. \u201cNice to meet you. What time will you be at Romano\u2019s tonight, Mandy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy licked her lips and gripped the borrowed pen in her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201c8:00.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo winked at her. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll see you there,\u201d he whispered with a smile before leaving the conference room. Mandy watched him go, wondering where he went and wishing she had asked him why he<\/i> was there.<\/p>\n

Leo Romano typed the name Mandy Seymour<\/i> into his phone and waited for the search engine to give him what he needed. Within seconds, the first page of hits came on the screen and Leo scrolled through, clicking on the third link.<\/p>\n

Mandy Seymour, respected food critic for Denver Lifestyle<\/i> magazine, recommends the Coffee and Crepes <\/i>delicatessen off 23rd<\/sup> and Mountain View. Mandy was quoted as saying, \u201cThe service was impeccable and the breakfast quiche exceeded my expectations . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo clicked off his phone and shoved his hands in his pockets. Even from the hallway, he heard his father\u2019s voice booming through the conference room. He could quote verbatim his father\u2019s speech, and while it was usually inspirational for the audience, Leo could only stand to hear it so many times.<\/p>\n

He stepped closer to the open door, scanning the back row where Mandy Seymour sat, scribbling on her notepad. She\u2019d rushed into the conference room, late, juggling a purse and shoulder bag; then she\u2019d furiously rummaged through her purse until Leo had given her his pen. He\u2019d been amused by her effort to ignore him and her frustration at his attempt at conversation. Wisps of brown hair had escaped the knot tied at the nape of her neck. Leo doubted that Mandy knew her scarf was haphazardly dragging on the floor when she\u2019d rushed in. Everything about the woman shouted scatterbrained<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Still, scatterbrained or not, when Mandy dropped her pen and then scrambled to find it under her chair, Leo smiled without warning from where he stood watching.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s charming. In a clumsy, disheveled sort of way.<\/i> Leo watched her sit back up and blow a stray hair from her face while she continued taking notes. Not like<\/i> Carol Ann. Those are two words that could never describe her. <\/i><\/p>\n

Leo\u2019s neck stiffened at even the thought of Carol Ann Hunt. It had been more than six months since she\u2019d broken off their engagement and moved back to her parents\u2019 home in Chicago.<\/p>\n

Leo leaned against the wall near the doorway and closed his eyes, sending up a quick prayer for just a little more endurance.<\/p>\n

Please help me get the new restaurant off the ground, Father. It\u2019s so important to my dad. He can\u2019t do this without me.\u00a0 And I can\u2019t do this without You.<\/i><\/p>\n

The sound of laughter coming from the conference room broke the moment of reverie and Leo looked up, glancing at his watch and knowing that the speech would be over soon. His father\u2019s voice echoed through the corridor and Leo couldn\u2019t avoid hearing the highlights of his father\u2019s life story. He listened as Gabriel Romano talked about discovering his passion\u2014and talent\u2014for cooking, marrying the love of his life and raising a family in Los Angeles, struggling financially to get his first restaurant off the ground. But through hard work, determination, and a stellar reputation for good food, that first Romano\u2019s eventually thrived.<\/p>\n

Gabriel told the audience that he hired his brother to be the manager and overseer of the restaurant while he concentrated on cooking, and a few years later he decided to move his family to Colorado. With the success of the Los Angeles Romano\u2019s, the opening of a second restaurant proved to be much easier. The restaurant on Franklin Street in Denver turned into an overnight success.<\/p>\n

As the speech came to a close, Leo noted that his father hadn\u2019t mentioned that Leo would be the head chef, running the kitchen at the 15th<\/sup> Street location. He knew his father wanted to create more buzz by keeping the new chef\u2019s identity a mystery until the restaurant opened. That suited Leo just fine; he had enough on his plate without enduring the press and questions about his new role as head chef, along with the inevitable comparisons that would be made to his father.<\/p>\n

As the crowd filed through the double doors, Leo moved back. From a distance, Leo could see Mandy Seymour make her way back down toward the lobby. Knowing she would be at the grand opening tonight, Leo would make sure everything from the food to the service to the lighting would be perfect.<\/p>\n

Mandy took her time walking down the street back toward Union Station. She planned to headd tried the week before. It was one of the things she loved most about herway place right outside of Denver that served amazing meat loaf or that tiny diner off Mosely Street that had the best cherry pie and homemade ice cream.<\/p>\n

Not that Romano\u2019s <\/i>could ever be described as a little hole-in-the-wall type place; with its marble flooring, an outdoor fountain, stone fireplaces, textured walls, and magnificent murals\u2014it was more than impressive. Mandy had been to the restaurant on Franklin Street a number of times. The Italian restaurant stood as practically a landmark in the area. But this latest Romano\u2019s promised new items on the menu, created by a new chef\u2014someone with Gabriel Romano\u2019s obvious stamp of approval.<\/p>\n

Mandy tightened her pea coat around her and picked up her pace as the wind brushed across her face. She wished she\u2019d thought to wear a more substantial coat. It had been a mild January for Denver, but as a lifelong Coloradan, Mandy knew how unpredictable the weather could be. The sounds of downtown Denver competed with the brisk wind as Mandy reached Union Station. She loved the energy of being in the mile-high city. She thrived on the lights, the noise, the crowds; living in a place bustling with people helped with the loneliness of living on her own.<\/p>\n

Within seconds of finding a seat on the train, Mandy\u2019s cell phone rang. Just the sound of the Shirelle\u2019s singing Mama Said<\/i> told Mandy all she needed to know. Claire Seymour was nothing if not predictable. Mandy held the phone to her ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMandy, are you still downtown?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Mom. I\u2019m already on my way back home. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you said you\u2019d call me on your way back to the Tech Center.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve only been on the train for about two minutes. I was going to call you once I\u2019d been on the train for three minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no need to be snippy, Mandy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy watched the city fly by as the train moved. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. Now, I\u2019m cooking pot roast tonight, and I want you to come over for dinner. Your brother and his wife are coming, too. Six o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMom, I already told you that I have plans tonight. I have to visit that new restaurant and then start my review. So I can\u2019t make it. But please tell Brian and Samantha that I said hello.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m making pot roast!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNext time, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday dinner. I won\u2019t take no for an answer. I expect you in Evergreen by 4:00.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine. Sunday. 4:00. I\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I certainly hope you\u2019re wearing your good coat! It\u2019s freezing outside!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it is. See you Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandy clicked her phone off and leaned her head back against the cold window, ignoring the familiar wave of defeat that came over her whenever she talked to her mother.<\/p>\n

As the train rattled to a stop, Mandy jumped up, swung her bag over her shoulder and braced herself for the cold wind. She allowed herself a little time to think about the mysterious Leo.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s Italian, obviously. Aren\u2019t Italian men famous for flirting? Or maybe that\u2019s Greek men . . . Anyway, he probably didn\u2019t mean anything by it. And I\u2019m sure he won\u2019t be at Romano\u2019s tonight. He\u2019s too good-looking to be interested in me.<\/i><\/p>\n

Without a doubt, that last thought had her mother\u2019s tone.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t think about Mom. I\u2019ve proved her wrong, so far, haven\u2019t I? Here I am, living in the city with a job I love . . . I haven\u2019t turned out to be the failure she feared I would be. Okay, so I\u2019m not married to a dashing, successful man and I\u2019m not the size-six, fashion-conscious, top-executive she\u2019d wanted me to be\u2014there are worse things in life.<\/i><\/p>\n

Mandy\u2019s shoulder bag fell to the ground, its contents scattering. Mandy sighed.<\/p>\n

Like being a walking disaster. <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"divider2\"
\nMY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Table For Two<\/strong><\/em> is a thoroughly enjoyable and quickly read contemporary romance featuring a restaurant critic and the chef of a well-know Denver restaurant.\u00a0 As is usually the case, the road to romance for Mandy and Leo is not always smooth and straight. In fact there are quite a few rough patches and detours along the way.<\/p>\n

Charming characters and an interesting plot held my interest throughout. Details about the restaurant business as well as Mandy’s occupation added to the story. I particularly liked how Mandy and her mother were finally able to reach an understanding that thoroughly restored their mother-daughter relationship. Words of wisdom from Leo’s father were also quite appropriate and pointed Leo to a renewed dependence on the Lord. Table For Two<\/strong><\/em> contains faith-filled encouragement as well as its sweet romance. You can’t go wrong with this one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,60,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-contemporary-fiction","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16778"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16778"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16803,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16778\/revisions\/16803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}